


persistence is only one-tenth of the law

by light_rises



Series: burning days (as we make our way) [1]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Boundaries, Gen, Implied/Referenced Past Child Abuse, Manipulation, Pre-Canon, boundary violation, don't be like him kids, in which asriel dreemurr serves as an object lesson in What Not To Do in this sort of sitch
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-22
Updated: 2017-03-22
Packaged: 2018-10-09 10:15:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,303
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10409871
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/light_rises/pseuds/light_rises
Summary: Asriel has an idea. For once, Chara is not game for it.Something has to give here.





	

**Author's Note:**

> As implied by the tags, Asriel is very ( _very_ ) pushy here, so please take caution as needed when reading.
> 
> Thanks again to [telluricThanatologist](http://archiveofourown.org/users/telluricThanatologist) for combing through this like a champ!

"No."

You stare at them. Chara hadn't looked your way while you asked, and they didn't try for—for at least the _ghost_ of giving their answer any real thought? And now they've gone back to drawing (if, you know, never taking a break means you CAN "go back" to it), spurting little hums.

You wrinkle your nose, frowning. "Just... 'no'?" you say.

"No." They snatch a crayon ("blizzard blue"; slightly chewed, the bottom third of it lost to the ages) from the pile you're both sharing. The crayons Chara has been using the most are lined up in a neat row on the other side of their drawing sheet, still within reach if you were to make a good stretch for them. "If 'nope' would be more to your liking," they go on, tone light, crisp and uncreased, "I wouldn't have trouble supplying it."

Your frown deepens.

"That's not what I—" You cut yourself off. No, no no, you're getting sidetracked! Focus. "But Chara, you're... you don't have to worry about doing well, if that's what's bothering you? I mean, look at what you're drawing right now! It's SUPER cool."

Chara ( _finally_ ) pauses long enough to lean back from their drawing. Their mouth slants into a shadow of a grimace as they look down, appraising, then up at you. "... It's just a Migosp."

"A really _good_ Migosp!" You're not exaggerating; you wouldn't say it's lifelike or anything, but it's a decent likeness. Way better than what you can do, for sure. "Mo—my mom and dad aren't telling, like, fibs or anything either, you know. When they say you're good at this, too."

Chara blinks. The rest of their face is annoyingly neutral, set and careful like porcelain, which only cracks as they work their bottom lip and turn away again (you try not to look too disappointed). "Big deal," they say. The lightness in their voice is a little bit gone. "I've had practice. I haven't been able to draw much of anything else lately."

You grin a little, sly. "You say that like it doesn't count."

They whirl back towards you, looking... scandalized, you think? Golly. " _Of course_ it doesn't," they say—no, _enunciate_ , tone matching their face to the hilt.

That's enough to make you bust out laughing, apparently.

"Oh my god." Chara's head slopes downward, hands catching it in a cradle. "Forget it," they tell you, with a muffled conviction that just makes you laugh harder. "Thanks. Fantastic. I'm never going to draw again."

"Nooooooooo, d—on't do that!" You're _trying_ to get the laughs under control, sort of, and you even remember to stop short of patting Chara's arm or hugging them around the shoulders. They hate being touched without permission for some reason, especially if they can't see you doing it. "It's just," you start, then break for another gigglefit, "Chara, I'm—pretty sure you're the only person who would think something like that."

By increments, Chara spreads apart the fingers covering their left eye. They're trying to give you some sort of... Look through there, maybe.

You sputter one last giggle. Chara sighs, hands dropping.

"You are... you're. Something," they say. Their gaze tips downward, to your paws splayed next to their drawing. "'Incorrect' is part of whatever that might be, for the record."

You roll your eyes. "Pssh, not in this household, I'm not."

They snort. It doesn't _exactly_ sound like their dismissive snort, so: Aha!! Progress.

"No wait, hold on. I can do that better." You fold your arms, all careful theatricality, chest puffed out just so. "Okay," you say, following up with your best grown-up Boss Monster voice: " _Not in THIS household, I'm not!_ "

They lose it. Not for long, but their right hand slams the table as they huff giggles into the crook of their elbow (and smacks it a few more times after that, softer). It's enough to make you feel like you've won a big prize, like—like the Nose Nuzzle Championship, you guess??

You wish you could give yourself a high-five. Actually, you do, right under the table, before Chara's laughter tapers off enough for them to notice. _Man_ , you are _slick_.

Speaking of, you need to keep up the streak while their mood allows for it. "Sooo... " you start.

"Pff. So?" Chara's fixing their hair, combing fingers through the mussed-up bits more than strictly necessary, maybe. They're smiling, though, without the symmetrical tightness that tells you it's fake.

"The Librarby competition!" You smile too, swaying expectantly in your chair. "I mean, now that you've had more time to consider it... "

"Oh." The smile drops as they finish straightening their bangs. "Hmm."

Oh no. "It'd be fuuuuun~" you croon.

"Hey Asriel, you know what _you_ should consider?"

They say that so brightly, you can't help mirroring it. "Yeah??"

Chara leans toward you. Their brows squinch and eyes crinkle with an air of conspiracy as their left hand lifts—

—then falls on your right paw for a quick pat.

"Dropping it," they finish. They flash another smile (teeth bared, too even on both sides) before turning away, crayon back in hand. "That was a good laugh, though. Thank you."

You gape at them; try with all your might to squish the indignant cries of " _oh c'mon!!_ " into the pit of your stomach, because you _know_ that won't work, not even slightly. Throwing a petty tantrum is not what big kids do.

Well. Well! _Golly!!_ Chara sure is a tough nut to crack today! You're just going to have to try harder, aren't'cha?

"Okay. I get it, Chara, really, buuuuuut"—you're dredging up your best wheedling tone—" _but!_ What if you ALSO consider that—"

"Ree." Both the nickname and the soft lowness of their voice catch you short. "Could you... mm." They pause to pinch the bridge of their nose. "Could you at least do me one favor here? And explain why this is so important to you."

You swallow, realizing with a pang of resentment that you're on the spot now.

"Well. I! I just think—" _you should get out more, you're always cooped up in here and I think that's what makes you so prickly_ is one thought. _You should do this because you'd probably like it but you won't **know** unless you **try** , Chara_ is another, and it sits just as unspoken. They sound too much like sentiments Chara's rejected before, so what's the use?

( _Because I want everyone to know how great you are_ is there too, and you've never tried it, but it's... it's too honest. Yet not exactly what you want, either? You can't give Chara a reason you don't totally understand yourself.)

Wait, shoot. How long have you been stalling. "Ummmmmm... um. You would... " You straighten, pounding a fist into your palm. "You'd get so much recognition! Because you'd DEFINITELY win, or at least place really high! Yeah!"

Both of Chara's brows shoot upward. Nailed it???

"Imagine, if you will," you continue, "strolling into the Librarby, super casual, when suddenly... _bam!!_ You show your art! And you blow everyone out of the water! Like, no contest. That'd be cool as heck, righ—"

Chara sighs so sharply your voice turns to cinders.

"You're still... " Chara licks their lips. The knuckles wrapped around their crayon have gone bone white. "You're still trying to sell me on this, aren't you?"

"Uh." Your smile betrays a twitch.

Silence, before they sigh again, softer, head ducked for half a moment.

"It seems to me," they say, voice so very measured and level that it makes you a little nervous, "like _you're_ the one who wants to enter the contest, here."

You make a noise that's too much like a bleat for your liking.

"Tha... no? _Of course not??_ " How do you even _respond_ to that, holy moly. "Chara, you KNOW I'd never win, c'mon!"

"Sounds like something that's not my problem." They resume drawing, prim as ever. At least the color has returned to their knuckles. "Regardless, I'd be more than happy to support you, if that's what you'd like to do."

"Ughh, that's not the point." Why do they have to be so—so obtuse? Don't they understand you're trying to _help?_

"... I suppose it isn't." They stop drawing, tapping the ragged end of the crayon to their lips. "But you know what, Asriel?"

"What?"

They turn to you, expression just a hair’s breadth away from glaring. "I'm not sure I care for what the point actually is."

You stiffen. Chara doesn't look away for a long, long moment, and you get the weird sense you should be feeling... something else, aside from a squirmy mix of intimidated and miffed.

Before you can put your finger on it, Chara swivels away. They let slip one more sigh, like they're casting a lifeline. "I've already asked you to drop it. Please. Let's just... get back to what we were doing. We were _fine_."

That's when it clicks, like some corner of your brain sliding a puzzle piece into place: They're upset. Chara's not kicking up a fuss just to be contrary or whatever, you've—you've made them _upset_. That's not what you wanted at all.

But... they're still wrong. Even if Chara has their reasons, they're blowing this totally out of proportion, aren't they? It's just a contest! And they would do so well!! There's no way you can let this lie, not when your best friend is about to look a Gyftrot in the mouth.

... You can think of one more play to use. "Hey, Chara?"

"Mmm."

 _Keep it gentle_. "Maybe... uh." You idly trace a circle on the table with a claw, eyes averted. "Later on, you should think about talking to my parents. Before you say 'no' to the competition altogether."

Their shoulders lock up. "Asriel. Stop."

"Wait, hear me out," you say, even as that one part of your brain that helped slot things together is tinnily chorusing _no, really, you need to **stop**_. "Like, for one, they're older—like, you know, WAY older—so they'd have some perspective that you wouldn't—"

"Ree."

"—which means my dad would... he'd. Uhhh, actually, he might just let you do whatever? He's great and all but he's kind of a pushov—oh, c'mon, Chara, don't give me that look, you know it's true! Anyway, my mom—"

"Would come to her own conclusions, because she's adept at thinking for herself. Which is aside from the point that _you need to stop. Please._ "

You're caught between bristling at them and thinking ( _knowing_ ) you should back off, that you're only making things worse. And—

"Y... you don't know that!" (there's so much they don't know, can't know, Chara _wasn't around_ ) "Y-you can't say she won't agree with me!"

"I'm not even _suggesting_ that—"

"And you're right, she's smart! Really smart!! That's extra reason to talk to her and then do what she says, because she always, _always_ knows what's best for you—"

The crayon snaps.

Everything stops in its wake. You, and Chara. They've gone so pale you're worried they're on the cusp of another episode, which would be bad because fainting is scary and you're not sure you can deal with that right now. The shallow breathing isn't reassuring you, either.

Oh no. Oh no. Oh no you've messed up, you've messed up, you've—

Chara unfreezes, tossing the crayon like the piece of garbage it's become.

"Whoopsie-doodle!!" they say, so overbright you immediately veer towards concern again. "Guess I'll have to use another one! Aha ha what a pain, am I right or am I right?"

"Uhh." You look between Chara and where you think the crayon pieces landed, paws set to wringing. Chara doesn't _look_ like they're about to pass out anymore, but... "Are you okay?"

"Couldn't be better!" Their smile tells you otherwise; it's the biggest and thinnest and fakest you've seen it in days. "But, ah. A moment of your time, if I may?"

Paws still clasped, you sidle closer to them. Chara takes hold of your right ear like it'll tear if they so much as breathe on it wrong, lifting it above eye level. They slowly lean in.

"Would you" (six inches away) "kindly" (two inches) ". . . **_f u c k  o f f ._** "

Now: you've been, for all intents and purposes, sitting through a crash course in Human Stuff for the past few months, mostly thanks to Chara. You've learned a lot. So much that sometimes you need a minute to recall what you already know.

When it sinks in this time, you're jerking out of Chara's reach and the chair as well, tears already stinging your vision.

" _C—cool!! Great!_ " You stomp a foot because to _hell_ with it, you'll act like you're five if you want to. "Maybe I will, then!!"

"Fine by me! Oh, this is for you too." Chara holds out a closed fist, their middle finger extended.

You squint at it for a few seconds before batting their hand away. "I don't know what that means, you jerk!!"

"It means the same thing, asshole!" they rejoin. "Eff-why-fucking-eye!!"

"Awesome!! I'll make sure to remember that!"

"In hell, hopefully!"

"Sure, why not?? I'll see you there, idiot!"

"Don't let the door hit you on the way out!!!"

You do not, for the record, and get about five seconds to be smug about it before your mom catches you trying to make a beeline for Snowdin Forest without so much as putting on a jacket.

 

\--

 

The damage report, all told: one (1) gently administered scolding on how and when it's appropriate to swear, for Chara; and one (1) full-blast lecture on boundaries, plus a solid week without desserts, for you.

(It takes you an embarrassingly long time to admit that the distribution of punishment was, in all probability, more than fair enough.)


End file.
